ARSC/GEOL 2110
Physical Science of the Earth System
Climate Report
Fall 2001

Lab report is due Thursday, November 29, 2001.

Useful resources:
Blue Planet Ch. 12, esp. 272-280. Figures 14.1 and 14.23 in Ch. 14
Red lab manual handouts: Planetary Temperatures and Albedos; The Greenhouse Effect; IR Spectra of Greenhouse Molecules; Lab Report: Greenhouse Warming. Internet resources used with these handouts; see URLs in handouts or links from course web page, under Week 13.

1. Answer question #1 in the document Lab Report: Greenhouse Warming in the red lab manual. Your answer should both describe the trend and explain the physical origin of the trend.
2. Write a succinct paragraph explaining how the absorption spectrum of a molecule in the infrared region relates to its greenhouse effectiveness. Your answer should address both the frequency and intensity of the absorption bands of the molecule.
3. In this lab, you worked with some computer models that predict climate. You used a very simple model yourself and examined conclusions from a sophisticated model. Based on your own experience with these models and on your views of your role as a future college graduate, what should educated citizens know about the predictions of these models?